US drone strikes kill 12 militants in south Waziristan

ISLAMABAD (PAN): At least 12 suspected militants were killed in two separate missile strikes from pilotless US drones in Pakistan's lawless tribal region of South Waziristan on Saturday, near the Afghanistan border, an official said.

The governmental official, who did not want to be named, told Pajhwok Afghan News the drone struck a house in the Jandawal area, a Taliban stronghold, killing eight suspected militants.

Hours later, the unmanned aircraft targeted a car in the Mandaw area killing four occupants inside the vehicle. Both the house and the car were completely destroyed following the attacks.

Meanwhile, seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded in an insurgents strike in north Waziristan late on Friday, said the same official.

In the Friday incident a group of rebels launched an attack on the Pakistani convoy in the Datakhel area on the outskirts of Miran Shah in north Waziristan.

He said in response to the attack government soldiers retaliated killing nine militants.